- Superb review of this in your research laboratory manual
Luster
- argentiferous Luster or Non-metallic Luster
Colour
- on a recent surface in mirrored lightweight
- The coloror lack of colour is also diagnostic
- Be careful- it will vary thanks to tiny
- Differences in chemical composition!
- Tiny impurities can also modification the color
Hardness
• The resistance to abrasion (scratchability)
• Determined by either making an attempt to scratch a mineral of unknown hardness with a substance of renowned hardness or by victimization the unknown mineral to scratch a substance of renowned hardness.
• ordered series of hardness: ten minerals
Cleavage
• outlined because the tendency of a mineral to interrupt on definite planes of weakness that exist within the internal structure
• it's virtually not possible to interrupt some minerals in such the simplest way that cleavage planes don't develop. spar and fool's gold square measure nice examples
• A well outlined cleavage plane can mirror lightweight off of it’s terribly sleek surface
• explore for repetitions within the breaks of the crystal
• don't be confused with mineral growth faces, like quartz!
• If there's no cleavage, there's fracture. ex: conchoidalfracture patterns in volcanic glass or the fibrous fracture of amphibole.
Streak
• the color of a mineral powder, made from rubbing the mineral against a ceramic ware streak plate, either black or white
• Some minerals have a really distinctive color ex: haematite
• normally, argentiferous minerals have a novel streak color
• Limitation: the streak plate hardness is ~7.
Tenacity
• Associate in Nursing index of a mineral’s resistance to be broken…or bent..
• several terms square measure accustomed describe tenaciousness, some examples in your research laboratory manual square measure brittle, elastic, flexible.
Diaphaneity
• the flexibility of a mineral to transmit lightweight
• clear, semitransparent, opaque
• Limitation: some minerals modification properties with differing thicknesses.
Crystal kind/types
• The assemblage of crystal faces that
constitute the outside surface of the
crystal
• Crystal Symmetry is that the geometric
relationship between the crystal faces
• Opposite: Amorphous
• half-dozen main crystal systems: isometric (or
isometric), tetragonal, hexagonal,
orthorhombic, monoclinic, triclinic.
“Others”
• Magnetism
Lodestone compasses
• refraction (very cool, Calcite)
• style (Rock Salt, NaCl)
• Odor (Sulfur, mineral ZnS)
• Feel (talc is greasy,hornblende is rough)
• chemical change with HCL